France plans to send anti-missile and anti-drone systems to Cyprus following a drone attack on the British sovereign base at RAF Akrotiri, according to the Cyprus News Agency.
Cyprus News Agency reported that France would deploy air defense systems and a frigate to the eastern Mediterranean island. It said French President Emmanuel Macron communicated the intention to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides early Tuesday.
A Cypriot government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the report. France’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The reported French support follows two separate drone incidents on Monday targeting RAF Akrotiri, which is considered sovereign British territory. In the first incident, an Iranian-made Shahed drone crashed into the runway, causing limited damage. Hours later, two additional drones were intercepted.
Senior Cypriot officials said the attack was carried out by an Iranian Shahed drone likely launched by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah from Lebanon. Officials stressed that the British base, rather than the Republic of Cyprus itself, was the intended target.
The incident occurred amid heightened regional tensions. Britain had said Sunday that it accepted a U.S. request to use its military bases for “defensive” strikes against Iran, following the launch of a U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Tehran and subsequent Iranian retaliation. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer later stated that Britain’s bases in Cyprus were not being used by U.S. bombers.
Cyprus has requested that British bases on the island be used only for humanitarian purposes.
France’s move would add to assistance already pledged by Greece. Athens dispatched four F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus on Monday, along with two frigates. One of the vessels is equipped with the Centauros anti-drone jamming system, which has previously been deployed against Houthi attacks on shipping lanes off Yemen.
According to Cypriot defense sources, the Centauros system is capable of detecting and neutralizing low-flying drones such as the one that struck RAF Akrotiri and evaded radar detection.
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